June News

News and recent activities

Grace Cares – Pimp My Ride
Schools, colleges and local groups joined in this brilliant initiative to showcase the issues with excess medical aids and how more recycling/reuse is needed. Zimmer frames were given to the groups to decorate and these are now on display at the Hub at St Mary’s, following an excellent fundraising night held there last week.  Check out all the fun here. The event even features on ITV news!
Transition also decorated one (not entered into the competition though).
             
 Staffordshire Green Network
The ‘Green Conversation’ on 14th June looked at the role of community energy and other avenues to explore for venues and groups looking to reduce their energy costs and emissions.  Further details on contacts can be obtained by emailing [email protected]
Free online workshops organised by Phil Beardmore - a real expert on energy-saving for voluntary, community or faith organisations. Come along to the ‘Energy Saving In Community Buildings’ free Zoom workshop on 16 July 2024 (10am-12.30pm) and 17 July 2024 (10am-12.30pm), and learn how to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions and your fuel bills. Follow the link to book (you will need to attend both sessions).

Repaint Scheme
Staffs County Council have opened the Repaint Scheme at Lichfield Recycling Centre, a week earlier than planned.  This will allow people to leave their part used/unused tins of paint for others to make use of. Find it in the corner to the right, straight ahead from the entrance.  Speak to a member of staff if you would like to make use of the paint.

Great Big Green Week - Shenstone Library
Shenstone Library Environment Group organised a wonderful range of events and activities during GBGW, including a very successful Gardeners' Question Time!  Lots of ideas and tips to take away.
The “Cherishing Our Wildlife Through Art” exhibition was a great success, with some very generous donations from artists and some lovely contributions from school children. 
Over £1500 was raised – what a brilliant amount – and Staffs Wildlife Trust will be the recipient. Well done to all involved.
                              
Rethink Food initiative
The Rethink Food group (currently a WhatsApp group) had a very successful evening showing of the Six Inches of Soil film, followed by a panel discussion.  Annamarie of Woodhouse Farm was one of the panellists.  Certainly a lot to think abut in terms of valuing the soil and land and bring about change to working practices.
 
Learning opportunities, inspiration and handy hints

Watch
 If you are in need of an inspiring film to watch then take a look at the ones on offer from the Waterbear platform. A brilliant selection.

Read
 It was heartening to read that Costco is doing a pretty good job re sustainability and reducing food waste, considering its size and the type of business it is in. Read more about here and here.
The topic of geoengineering was raised recently at an event I was at.  Should we be ‘messing’ with weather systems to try to bring about change? This article from a few years ago gives a good introduction to the issues.
Next year sees the introduction of the Future Homes Standard 2025 – a new standard for energy efficient homes.  Is it too little too late?  Will all those new homes around our local area need retrofitting in the not so distant future?
How has your garden fared this year, with warm winter, heavy rains and then not a lot of sunshine? This article from Kew has some advice on adapting gardens for climate change.
Parliament will be transformed (we hope!) by the end of the week.  No Caroline Lucas though – she will definitely be missed.  The speech she gave during the debate about the loss of biodiversity and failure of government to protect nature was excellent.  You can read it here.

Visit
Have you seen the glorious stumpery in the forest at Trentham Gardens yet?  And whilst you are there, you can look out for the beavers that have been introduced into the lake!

Get involved

Lichfield Arts Fuse Festival, 12th- 14th July, Beacon Park
We still need a few more people to come forward to help on the Transition stall at Fuse.  Setting up on the Friday and manning it over the weekend.  We are happy to have info from our connected groups on the stand so do get in touch about joining forces.  And the Fuse organisers are still in need of helpers for the festival in general.
We will have some musical instruments made from ‘junk’ for people to play on or make their own so if you have expertise in that area or have items that would make great instruments then let us know!

Staffordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)
SCC held a session at the Staffs Wildlife Trust to engage with groups on the Strategy. You can read more about it here and get in touch with your thoughts/ideas.

Eco Together
Eco Together is a Friends of the Earth initiative, aiming to get people talking about climate change who otherwise might not engage. It is based on the idea of small groups of neighbours/friends getting together for 6 sessions over a few months.  All the resources are provided.  Stephanie Boyle who runs sessions in Birmingham is working with a local Lichfield resident who is wanting to start groups here. If you are interested then email us on [email protected] and we can put you in touch.

Gardening/growing
Don’t forget that we are always in need of extra hands for our wilding patches around Lichfield and the City Station planters. They have been quite a challenge to maintain over the past few weeks with some of the grasses going bonkers! We can add your number to our WhatsApp group to keep you posted on what needs doing where.  It might only be a couple of hours every few weeks, so not that onerous as the more people who help us the better.  And if anyone has veg growing expertise who would be happy to teach others, then we would love to hear from you!  We plan to hold some skill share sessions at Dovehouse Gardens at some point.
 
Dates for your diary
You can also check out the Events listing on the Transition website.
July
6th - Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB
6th - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
13th - Spark Burntwood – LGBT+ Family Weekend Playgroup session, 10-11.30am. Spark Springhill, Springhill Academy, Mossbank Avenue, Burntwood.
20th - Lichfield Repair & Share Café, Curborough Community Centre, 2-5pm
21st - Dovehouse Community Garden Working Party, 11-1pm
27th - Sausage & Cider Festival, Woodhouse Farm, Whittington. Tickets available from the farm.
27th - Shenstone Library Repair Café, 10-12pm

August
***No Repair Café sessions in August!***
10th – Ron Rock will run the popular Bee Safari for at the Wolseley Centre. Details can be found on the SinCH website.
17th – Jane Rock from the Staffs Bat Group will run a late evening Bat Walk for us – details on the SinCH website.
18th - Dovehouse Community Garden Working Party, 11-1pm
31st - Lichfield Wildlife Trust Bat Walk: Led by Heather Lomas, in conjunction with SE Staffs Bat Group, 8:00 p.m at Fisherwick Lakes, Fisherwick Wood Lane, Whittington WS13 8QF. Meet in the car park.

September
3rd – Lichfield Wildlife Trust AGM followed by talk: ‘Dangerous Animals’ by Peter Norbury. 7.45pm Wade St Church 
7th - Burntwood Repair & Share Café, 10-1pm, St Joseph’s RC Church, Cannock Road, WS7 0BB
7th - NCT Cloth Nappy Library. 10.00-12.00am, Lichfield District Children's Centre WS13 7PH. [email protected]
15th - Lichfield Arts Folk on the Farm, Woodhouse Community Farm 12.00-8.00pm. Tickets available here
20th - Globe Foundation Climate Expo (Uttoxeter) - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/globegroup/1192030
21st - Lichfield Repair & Share Café, Curborough Community Centre, 2-5pm with ‘how to use your tools’ workshop!
21st - Midlands Permaculture Festival - https://earthedup.com/learn/midlands-permaculture-festival-2024/
22nd - Dovehouse Community Garden Working Party, 11-1pm
 
Burton Conservation Volunteers have a range of activities – if you are interested in helping with projects around the Burton area then contact Lawrence Oates – [email protected]